Apparatus for packaging a product of uncontrolled height



Feb. 17, 1970 F. J. EBBERS ETAL 3,495,374

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT 0F UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT Filed Dec. 21,1967 s Sheets-Sheet 1 BALANCE BAR REFERENCE LINE CONTROL HEIGHT FIG. 2

IN VE N TORS FREDERICK J. EBBERS STAN Y ELDER ATTORNEY Feb; 17, 1970 F.J. EBBERS ETAL 3,495,374

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT 0F UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT 6 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Dec. 21, 1967 BY man-J1;

ATTORNEY FIG. 3

Feb. 17,1970 F. J. EBBERS ET AL 3,495,374

I APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING PRODUCT 0F UNCONTROLLED HEiGHT Filed Dec. 21,1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

IN VE/V TOR-5 FREDERICK J. E 881: RS

' srA EY' 1.0m

ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1970 F, J. EBBERS ET AL 3,495,374

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT 0F UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT Filed Dec. 21,1967 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 5

IN VE N TORS FREDERICK J. EBBERS 874 E) ELDER BY 4 JWM A T TORNE Y Feb.17, 1970 EBBERs ET AL 3,495,374

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT OF UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT Filed Dec. 21,19s? A s Sheets-Sheet 5 INVZ'NTORS FREDERICK J. EBBERS ST E, ELDER BY[12 0. dwhh ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1970 F. J. EBBERS ET AL 3,495,314

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT OE UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT Filed Dec. 21,1967 v 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 PRODUCT FLOW FIG. 7

INVENTORS FREDERICK J. EBBERS By 8734 L YujLEl? a A T'TORNE Y UnitedStates Patent 3,495,374 APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING A PRODUCT OF UNCONTROLLED HEIGHT Frederick J. Ebbers and Stanley Elder, Cincinnati,Ohio,

assignors, by mesne assignments, to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio,a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 692,496 Int. Cl.B65!) 35/52, 59/02, 63/00 US. Cl. 53-26 17 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A packaging machine for wrapping a pre-cut, prescored boxblank about a product of uncontrolled height less than the height forwhich the blank is designed. The machine comprises apparatus forselecting from a parent filler pad stack a filler pad substack forpackaging with the product. The selected filler pad substack isseparated from its parent stack and stacked in vertical alignment withthe product. Thereafter the package is wrapped and sealed in aconventional manner.

Background of the invention Our invention relates to machines forpackaging an uncontrolled height product in a stiff, fixed heightcontainer. It relates further to the selection and insertion of fillerpads in such a package and to wrapping a pre-cut, pre-scored box blankabout a packaging stack comprising a product and a substack ofheight-adjusting filler pads. It relates also to the making of a seriesof controlled height secondary product substacks each having a heightrelated to the height difference between an associated uncontrolledheight primary product and a selected control height.

Our novel apparatus was developed in response to a need for eliminationof costly hand operations in the packaging of pre-wrapped reams ofpaper. It is characteristic of this paper to exhibit variations incaliper and thereby produce reams of nonuniform height. This in turnresults in a partially empty shipping container which is subject tocrushing during handling or storage. In the past this problem has beensolved by first filling the shipping container and then manuallyinserting a number of filler pads as required for a tightly filledpackage.This has generally been a bottom loading operation so that thepaper reams are readily accessible during top unloading.

It will be appreciated that the described process has been tedious andexpensive. Furthermore, it is restricted to use with shipping containerswhich are set up before loading. For wrap-around packaging operationsusing precut, pre-scored blanks it becomes necessary to determine therequired number of filler pads before commencement of the wrappingprocess. It is further desirable to do this automatically as an initialstep in a completely automatic wrapping and sealing sequence. Dependingupon the type of packaging operation it is often also desirable toinsert the filler pads at the bottom of the article stack therebyavoiding an inverting step at a later stage in the process.

Summary Our invention comprises a machine and subcombinations thereinfor automatically selecting from a parent filler pad stack a filler padsubstack of such height as may be required for controlled heightadjustment of the product. The selected filler pad substack is separatedfrom its parent stack and stacked in alignment with the product.Thereafter the package is wrapped and sealed in a conventional manner.

Filler pad selection is performed by positioning the "ice product in aspatial zone having a height equal to a selected control height. Fromthe parent filler pad stack there is selected a substack of height equalto the total vertical extent of that region within the said spatial zonewhich is not occupied by the product. In the preferred embodiment theselected filler pad substack is thereafter separated from the parentstack and transferred to a position in vertical alignment with theproduct. The product and the filler pad substack are then combined intoa single stacked unit for packaging. As will be shown subsequently, thesubcom'bination which comprises the preferred embodiment of our fillerpad selection and separation apparatus is useful generally in anyapplication wherein it is desired to make a series of height adjustingsubstacks each associated with a primary product of uncontrolled height.

In an alternative embodiment of our invention the parent filler padstack is introduced directly into the above described spatial zone.Filler pad selection is performed implicitly; the selected substackcomprising those filler pads which fit in the spatial zone along withthe product.

For cooperation with the preferred filler pad selection apparatus wehave invented a novel stacking apparatus comprising a movable productsupport plate and product restraining means. The product is positionedon the product support plate and the selected filler pad substack isplaced under said plate in vertical alignment with the product. Theproduct support plate is withdrawn, with the product being laterallyrestrained. This results in a gravity drop of the product, therebyforming a vertically aligned stack with the filler pad substack on thebottom.

Brief description of drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the fillerpad selection and separation section of our machine.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing showing our novel stacking apparatusbeginning the first step of its stacking sequence.

FIG. 4 follows FIG. 3 and shows the stacking apparatus completing thefirst stacking step.

FIG. 5 follows FIG. 4 and shows the stacking apparatus completing thesecond step of the stacking sequence.

FIG. 6 follows FIG. 5 and shows the stacking apparatus completing thethird and final step of the stacking sequence.

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment for building a controlled heightpackaging stack.

Description of preferred embodiments Our invention as above summarizedcomprises a novel packaging machine and certain 'subcombinationstherein. These subcom'binations perform the operations of selecting acontrolled height substack, separating the selected substack from itsparent stack, and stacking the selected substack with the product to bepackaged. The following paragraphs describe novel apparatus whichperform those operations and which in combination with known wrappingapparatus practice a hitherto unknown packaging process.

The preferred apparatus for selecting and separating a controlled heightsubstack is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. I

As illustrated therein a main frame 1 provides general support for themachine. A stack of filler pads 6 rests on a moveable filler pad supportplate 7 immediately adjacent to separation plate 22. Filler pad supportplate 7 is driven vertically by filler pad drive shaft 8. Filler padpusher 2 with attached plate 3 reciprocates horizontally along a path topush a selected filler pad substack out of vertical alignment with theparent stack and across the horizontal surface of plate 22. Drivingforce for this operation is provided by cylinder shaft 5 and directionalalignment by bearing shafts 4, 4.

A product 9 rests on a carrier 11 comprising a product support plate 24and filler pad transfer plate 23. Plate 23 is coplanar with separationplate 22. Carrier 11 may be horizontally reciprocated and cylinder shaft26 is provided for this purpose. As illustrated in FIG. 3, cylindershaft 26 is a part of transfer mechanism which comprises transfercylinder 25 and cylinder shaft 26. Our transfer mechanism is mentionedat this point only for purposes of clarity. It is a part of our stackingapparatus which is discussed subsequently.

For relating product height to filler pad height we prefer to use afiller pad selector as best illustrated in FIG. 2 and generallyindicated at 12. The selector as shown comprises a selector foot 13,selector foot linkage 14 with integral restraining ring 27, balance bar18, adjusting rod 15, and pressure activated switch 16. Balance bar 18is driven by selector foot 13 through linkage 14 and is centrallypivoted about support 17. Adjusting rod 15 supports switch 16 at thedriven end of balance bar 18. Linkage 14 and adjusting rod 15 arevertically guided by guides 19 and 20. Return spring 21 is seatedbetween restraining ring 27 and an under surface of guide 19. Spring 21re turns selector 12 to its start position after pusher 2 has removed aselected filler pad substack oif the top of the parent stack and awayfrom its supporting relation to se= lector foot 13.

The selection of a controlled height filler pad substack commences withfiller pads 6 positioned such that the top pad is level with thehorizontal surface of separation plate 22 and balance bar 18 positionedwith both ends along the illustrated balance bar reference line. Thebottom of selector foot 13 is resting on the top filler pad level withplate 22.

As a first step in the selection cycle product positioning ram 31 pushesproduct 9 across product arranging plate 32 into position on productsupport plate 24 under switch 16. Rod 15 is adjusted such that whenbalance bar 18 is centered along the Balance Bar Reference Line thedistance between switch 16 and plate 24 is exactly equal to the selectedcontrol height. Thus the region between switch 16 and plate 24constitutes a controlled height spatial zone into which product 9 isintroduced. Product 9 as illustrated has a height which fails to meetthe control height by an amount X. In general X may have any valuewithin the operating range of the filler pad selection apparatus.

As the cycle progresses the filler pad drive shaft 8 pushes the fillerpad support plate upward driving the filler pads past plate 22. Thismoves the selector foot '13 upward with a resulting downward movement ofpressure activated switch 16. It will be appreciated that the downwardmovement of switch 16 exactly equals the upward movement of the fillerpads.

After the filler pads have been driven upward for a distance X, switch16 contacts the upper surface of product 9 and generates a signalstopping the movement of shaft 8. It is seen that the operation hasproduced a filler pad advancement such that the number of filler padsraised above the horizontal surface of separation plate 22 is justsufficient to correct a height deficiency X.

The operation is described is carried out in the vertical direction.Obviously, filler pad selection may be performed with the apparatus inany other orientation without departing from the scope of our invention.The directions vertical and horizontal as well as the dimension heightare used only for ease of description and are not intended aslimitations upon our invention. Furthermore, it will be appreciated thatthe above described filler pad selection mechanism is not limitednarrowly to use with filler pads. It is apparent that the inventioncould be employed to select controlled height substacks from any type ofsecondary product stack. Also, when used in conjunction with separatingand reset means it may produce a series of controlled height substackseven though modified in numerous obvious ways. For instance, theoperation could be reversed by making the filler pad support platestationary and driving the product support plate; reference forseparation being provided by a progressively moveable index.

After filler pad selection, as above described, the stacking operationis begun. Referring still to FIGURES 1 and 2, stacking begins byactivating the filler pad pusher 2 to drive the selected filler padshorizontally across separation plate 22 to a resting position upon thefiller pad transfer plate 23. Selector foot 13 is positionedsufficiently far rearward to permit performance of this last operationwithout physical interference.

The above described step along with the other steps in the stackingoperation are schematically illustrated in FIGURES 3 through 6.

FIG. 3 shows three selected filler pads being driven across plate 22toward a position in alignment under the product. In FIG. 4 thealignment has been achieved and pusher 2 is retreating.

In FIG. 5 transfer cylinder 25 has driven shaft 26 and carrier 11transversely to a position centered over the bottom panel of a blank 29.Also, a pair of stripper bars 28 have been lowered to a positionadjacent to carrier 11 and immediately behind the overhanging edges ofproduct 9 and filler pads 6.

FIG. 6 illustrates the final step in the stacking process. As showntherein shaft 26 has pulled carrier 11 back nearly to its initialposition. This has caused the lowered stripper bars 28 to engage boththe product and the filler pads thereby stripping them off the carrierand causing them to drop on the bottom panel of blank 29. Duringtranslational movement of carrier 11, blank 29 is held stationary by anyconvenient means; for instance retractable clips such as clips 30.

In our machine we follow the above stacking operation by driving a ramdownward against the product forcing the packaging stack and the blankdown into a forming cavity. This folds the blank up around the stack andcommences a wrapping process comprising a series of folding, gluing, andclamping steps. As shown and described, the finished package has thefiller pads on the bottom.

The above paragraphs have described preferred apparatus for selecting avariable number of filler pads as required for controlled heightpackaging, separating the selected pads from a parent filler pad stackto create a height adjusting filler pad substack, and then combiningthis substack with a variable height product. However, our invention isnot limited to apparatus constrained to perform those operations in thestated sequence. FIG. 7, for instance shows alternate apparatus for thepractice of our invention. This latter apparatus is like the former inthat it positions the product in a spatial zone having a height equal toa given control height and selects from a parent filler pad stack afiller pad substack having a height equal to the total vertical extentof the unoccupied region within the spatial zone.

The apparatus of FIG. 7 operates as follows. A ram not shown pushes theproduct along the product flow line to stacking carrier 35. Carrier 35moves the product transversly for reception by transfer carrier 34.Carriers 34 and 35 cooperate to product proper positioning and verticalalignment of the product. At commencement of the operation a stack offiller pads 6 rests with the top filler pad protruding into arectangular aperture in separation plate 38. Thus when product 9 ispositioned as aforesaid within the restraining walls of carrier 34, itis resting upon and in vertical alignment with the filler pad stack.

After the product is positioned within carrier 34, filler pad driveshaft 36 drives the filler pad support plate 37 upward elevating thefiller pad stack and the product. The upward motion continues until theupper surface of the product touches pressure activated switch 39 whichgenerates a motion stop signal. The height of switch support rod 33 isadjusted to create between plate 38 and switch 39 a spatial zone ofheight equal to the selected control height. Thus when the motion stopsignal is generated the number of filler pads raised above thehorizontal surface of separation plate 38 is just sufficient to correctany height deficiency in the product. In contrast to the previouslydescribed embodiment, however, the filler pads advance directly into thecontrolled height spatial zone, occupying the region not occupied by theproduct.

When drive shaft 36 stops moving, carrier 34 completes the selecting,separating and stacking operation by pushing the product along theillustrated product flow direction. This motion carries with it thefiller pad substack which has been raised above the surface ofseparation plate 38.

The operation of the embodiment of FIG. 7 is typical of that of a classof related apparatus wherein filler pads are introduced directly intothe control zone; some of the selecting, separating, and stackingoperations being combined. For instance, drive shaft 36 could bereplaced by a spring and switch 39 by an arresting plate. As anotheralternative, the filler pads could rest on rectractable clips at theperiphery of the separation plate aperture. In this latter embodimentthe controlled height spatial ZOne would be located directly beneath theseparation plate. The product would be placed in the zone under thefiller pad stack and the retractable clips retracted to drop therequired filler pad substack through the aperture into verticalalignment with the product. These and numerous other obvious variationsare considered to be within the scope of our invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as'follows:

1. A packaging machine for wrapping a blank about a primary product ofuncontrolled height less than the height for which said blank isdesigned comprising:

support means for a secondary product stack,

substack selection means for selecting from a secondary product stackresting on said support means a substack of height equal to the heightdeficiency of said primary product,

first restraining means for restraining lateral movement of that portionof said secondary product stack not included within the substackselected as aforesaid, stack making means operative to move saidselected substack laterally out of alignment with its parent stack andto place the substack in alignment with the primary product, therebymaking a packaging stack of 0 height equal to the design height for saidblank, and wrapping means for wrapping and sealing said blank about saidpackaging stack.

2. A packaging machine according to claim 1 said means for supporting asecondary product stack comprising a second support plate and said stackmaking means comprising:

a first support plate for supporting said primary product, said firstsupport plate being parallel to the second support plate and laterallydisplaced therefrom,

a substack pusher for accomlishing the lateral separation of saidselected substack from its parent stack, and moving the substack to aposition in vertical alignment under the first support plate,

means for withdrawing the first support plate from its position invertical alignment over said substack,

second restraining means operative during above said withdrawal toremove a primary product from a position of rest on the first supportplate and thereby to cause said primary product to drop upon a heightadjusting substack made and positioned as aforesaid.

3. For stacking a product and a filler pad substack the combinationcomprising:

a product support plate for receiving and supporting the product,

means for stacking the filler pad substack in vertical alignment underthe product support plate,

means for withdrawing the product plate from its position in verticalalignment over the filler pad substack, and

restraining means operative during above said withdrawal to remove theproduct from a position of rest on the support plate and thereby tocause the product to drop upon a filler pad substack as aforesaidpositioned thereunder.

4. A combination according to claim 3 said product support plate beingof width less than the width of said product and said restraining meansbeing a pair of vertically moveable stripper bars positioned forlowering adjacent to the product support plate behind the overhangingproduct edges as the product support plate is withdrawn backward betweenthe stripper bars.

5. A combination according to claim 4 and further comprising a fillerpad transfer plate for supporting said filler pad substack in verticalalignment under said product, said filler pad transfer plate beingconnected to the product support plate for simultaneous withdrawaltherewith.

6. A combination according to claim 5 and further including blankrestraining means for holding a pre-cut pre-scored blank in spacedrelation to other said means such that upon simultaneous withdrawal ofthe product support plate and the filter pad transfer plate the productand the said filler pad substack will be dropped upon said blank withina panel defining the bottom for a fully wrapped package.

7. In a machine for packaging a product of uncontrolled height less thana selected control height apparatus for building a packaging stack ofheight equal to said control height comprising:

means defining a spatial zone having a height equal to said controlheight, means for positioning said uncontrolled height product withinsaid spatial zone thereby defining an unoccupied region of totalvertical extent representing a desired height adjustment for theproduct,

filler pad support means for receiving, supporting, and laterallyrestraining a parent filler pad stack in spaced relation to said spatialzone, and

combining means for selecting and laterally separating from a parentfiller pad stack as aforesaid supported a filler pad substack of heightequal to the total vertical extent of an unoccupied region as aforesaiddefined and stacking said filler pad substack together with saidproduct.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, said filler pad support meanscomprising a filler pad support plate parallel to the base of a spatialzone as aforesaid defined and moveable in a direction perpendicularthereto.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 said filler pad support plate beinglocated in vertical alignment with the spatial zone as aforesaiddefined, and said combining means comprising an elevator for drivingsaid filler pad support plate toward the spatial zone and causing afiller pad substack supported thereon to enter and completely occupythat region not occupied by the product as positioned therein, saidfiller pad substack being that selected as aforesaid.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 said combining means furthercomprising pusher means operative along a path through the spatial zoneas aforesaid defined and adapted to push therefrom the product aspositioned therein together with a filler pad substack as aforesaidselected and positioned thereagainst.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 and further including a separationplate positioned adjacent the spatial zone as aforesaid defined, saidseparation plate having an aperture therein for passage of a filler padstack therethrough thereby restraining the parent filler pad stack assaid pusher means moves the said filler pad substack separating ittherefrom.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8 said combining means comprising aselector foot moved by filler pads positioned on said moveable fillerpad support plate, and connected to and driven by the selector foot apressure activated switch moveable into an unoccupied region asaforesaid defined, said pressure activated switch being operative togenerate a movement stop signal when brought into contact with a productpositioned a spatial zone as aforesaid defined.

13. For selecting from a parent filler pad stack a filler pad substackhaving a height representing the height difference between anuncontrolled height product and a selected control height, thecombination comprising:

a product support plate,

a filler pad support plate parallel to the product support plate andmoveable in a direction perpendicular thereto,

a separation plate having a surface parallel to both of above saidplates and fixed in spatial relation to the product support plate,

elevating means for moving the tiller pad support plate andconcomitantly pushing a parent filler pad stack thereon perpendicularlypast the separation plate,

a moveable selector foot driven by surface contact against the leadfiller pad in said parent filler pad stack,

a bifurcated balance bar having its first end connected to and driven bythe selector foot and centrally pivoted about a point in spaced relationto the product support plate such that the balance bar second end isdriven toward a product supported thereon, and pressure activated switchconnected to the balance bar second end and operative to generate amovement stop signal when said switch is moved into contact with aproduct supported as aforesaid;

14. In a machine for packaging a primary product of uncontrolled heightless than a selected control height apparatus to build a regulatedheight substack for stacking therewith comprising:

a first support plate for supporting the primary product,

means for measuring the difference between the top of a primary productresting on said first support plate and a first predetermined levelcorresponding to said selected control height,

a second support plate for supporting a secondary product stack, saidsecond support piate being parallel to the first support plate andmoveable in a direction perpendicular thereto,

means for raising the second support plate until the top of a secondaryproduct stack supported thereon exceeds a second predetermined level byan amount equal to above said difference,

means to strip off from said secondary product stack of substacks eachhaving a height related to the height difierence between an associateduncontrolled height primary product and a selected control height thecornbination comprising:

a first support plate for supporting a primary product,

a second support late for supporting the secondary product stack,

motive means for producing intermittent linear motion between the firstand second support plates, said motion comprising a series of movementsteps each associated with the selection and separation'of a singlesubstack,

index apparatus adapted for progressive interrupted approach toward thesecond support plate, the magnitude of the approach steps correspondingto steps in the above said intermittent linear motion,

control means responsive to the presence of the lead surface of aprimary product resting on the first support plate and operative tocommunicate a motion stop signal to said motive means when aforesaidintermittent linear motion has, during a motion period, produced amovement corresponding to the difference between the selected controlheight and the height of the primary product,

separating means operative upon interruption of said intermittent linearmotion to separate from the secondary product stack, as aforesaidpositioned on the second support plate, that portion thereof havingadvanced past the index means during the preceding motion period, saidseparated portion being the desired substack, and

reset means operative upon completion of above said separation to adjustthe control means to an initial condition for commencement of anothersubstack selection cycle; said initiai condition being such that for aprimary product of height equal to the selected control height thecontrol means will immediately interrupt the succeeding movement periodof said intermittent linear motion.

16. A combination according to claim 15 said control means comprising asensor mounted for closure toward the first support plate during amovement period of said intermittent linear motion; the initial distancebetween said sensor and the first support plate being adjusted by thereset means to a value equal to the selected control height.

17. A method of making a packaging stack of height equal to a selectedcontroi height comprising the steps of: positioning a primary product ina spatial zone having a height equal to said controi height, measuringthe distance between the top of said primary product and the top of saidspatial zone, advancing a secondary product stack past an index markerfor a distance equal to above said measured distance, separating fromthe secondary product stack that portion thereof having advanced pastthe index marker, and ransferring said separated portion of thesecondary product stack into stacked relationship with the primaryproduct thereby making a controlled height package.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,090,503 5/ 1963 Curtenius 214-63,095,193 6/1963 Sorenson 214-6 X 3,220,570 11/1965 Swanson et a1. 214-6TRAUIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. X.R.

